Our beautiful Georgie is dead. With a serial killer on the loose, Port Charles has become a Mad World. This week we lost another bright and shining star, the precious inside and out Lindze Letherman as Georgie Jones. I knew it was coming. I told you it was coming. Yet part of me was still hoping for a reprieve. I was very sad to see her go, especially before the blossoming relationship between Georgie and Spinelli played out.
The only good things to come of Georgie's death were amazing scenes with John J. York and Kirsten Storms. I'll start with Kirsten because in the past I've been less than supportive of Maxie's character. But this week we learned from whence her anger springs. Her reaction to her sister's death was heartbreaking. Ms. Storms has had a rough year personally, but you certainly couldn't tell it from the work she's turning in. She gave some powerhouse performances this week and had me in tears for days. From her scenes in the hospital where she wondered aloud why Georgie died instead of her when she's the 'bad' one, to the scene where she comforts Mac when he blames himself for Georgie's death, to the uncharacteristically tender then undeniably cruel eulogy she delivered at Georgie's funeral. Wow. I think I smell an Emmy in her future. Most often we see her play an annoying skankie brat, so I was happily stunned to see the depth of her performances this week.
Seeing John J York's brilliant performance wasn't a surprise, as I have been around long enough to remember when Mac was a front burner character and not relegated to the background and only being hauled out of storage to question Sonny or Jason. Seeing his eyes fill up with tears made mine do the same, and his guilt and shame rang true. It's funny how we blame ourselves for things we can't possibly control. He fears calling Felicia to let her know her daughter died on his watch, and yet - let's consider that. He took those girls in and raised them when their Mom abandoned them.
Robin's scene with Mac this week was also very poignant and moving. Her speech to him rang so true to me, and in case you missed it, she said, "Okay, you have to listen to me. You didn't let Georgie down once. You were the one constant in her life -- and Maxie's and mine. You were the one who committed to raising us when our parents couldn't or wouldn't. You were there -- telling us to eat broccoli and do our homework, dealing with our raging female hormones, making us know every single day that we were just as loved as any kid in any normal family. Think of the person Georgie was -- smart, compassionate, loving -- that didn't just happen. She was a reflection of the best of you, Uncle Mac."
And you know why the actors had such beautiful and tender scenes to play? Because writers' wrote those beautiful speeches writers created those storylines. As the writer's strike drags on and on, I am worried about the fate of Daytime TV and network television in general. I shudder to think of a fall lineup riddled with nothing but reality TV. (I don't watch any of it except American Idol.) I watch Soaps because I like a good story. When I close this column with; "I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows." I mean it. I want to know what happens next. I started following the ongoing sagas of Luke and Laura and Bobbie and Scottie, and Monica and the Quartermaine's back when I was in high school. I am 46 now, and I still care about those characters. If the writers don't reach a settlement soon, if they are denied fair compensation for their work, if this strike continues - we'll run out of story and that scares me. I don't mind admitting I'm addicted to GH, I suppose the fact I have watched it for 30 years makes that fairly obvious.
It seems so 'common sense' to me. As I understand it, the writer's want to be compensated when the network sells downloads of shows they have written on the internet. Well, why is that a point of contention? If someone at the netword is making a profit from their work, and it should include a profit for them. Okay, it wasn't in their original contracts. But there was NO SUCH THING as selling TV show downloads on the internet back when they signed, so how could they have known? Maybe today they should put a clause in that says "And if by some chance you ever find a UFO with intelligent life from another planet and they want to buy old episodes of GH to view on Mars, I should get a nickel of that profit."
Okay, enough politics, and back to GH. With both Emily and Georgie gone, GH has no voice of compassion. Those two characters were the moral center of the town, the ones who convinced other characters to forgive one another, the ones who reminded people in town about right and wrong. They killed of both of our sweethearts, and we have a void of conscience in town. A mad world, to say the least.
Spinelli fills that bill in some ways, he's a tender soul at heart, but his devastation at losing Georgie may change him. As hysterically funny as Bradford Anderson is in this role, he has the emotional depth to pull off angst and grief in a way so real it's almost too difficult for me to watch. And I mean that in a good way. Seeing him in pain makes me ache. When he first finds Georgie dead and softly asks "Loyal friend, did you fall?" I think he knew full well she didn't fall. He was hoping against hope that she would move - but she didn't and the light in Spinelli's eyes drained out like it was leaking into the universe, and he was utterly despondent, emptied of all hope.
Then there's Felicia. I was so excited about Kristina Wagner's return, but on Day One I admit I was a little disappointed. She showed no emotion, just came in very matter of fact telling Maxie she'd been off doing something for Frisco. Maxie was so intense in her responses, but got nothing in return. Perhaps the director told Felicia to act like she was in shock, or maybe she just back in the groove yet, but for a Mom losing a child she didn't seem all that upset about it. Day two was a bit more emotional, and her scenes with Dillon were warm and wonderful and I breathed a sigh of relief to see her back in good form.
I would be remiss if I didn't also mention how wonderful it is to have Scott Clifton back on canvas. I wish it was long term and not just a drive by. In a couple of weeks, when we here at Soap Central review the best and worst we have seen this year, you can bet my worst list is going to be full of brilliant actors and characters we lost for reasons I cannot fathom. Why TPTB chose to kill off several major long term characters while bringing in a bunch of no names from Night Shift in their place is beyond me, but hey, that's another column. But sadly, since the Text Message killer is killing off all of our P.Y.T.'s, we have an overabundance of men and I don't think Lulu can handle any more suitors. Between Johnny, Logan, Spinelli, and Milo, I just don't think she could juggle Dillon, too. Especially while she has been so busy talking her stubborn Dad into life saving surgery.
As to whom the Text Message Killer may be, we got a new suspect this week. Some random stalker type who is suddenly working at Kelly's who Sam spurned by refusing to give an autograph. You know, the guy we have never seen before in our entire lives who they bent over backwards to make look suspicious... Like on the old Star Trek series, If Kirk, Spock, and Anonymous Crew Member beamed down to some strange planet, it was a given that Anonymous Crew Member wasn't coming back.
Georgie's death aside, there are signs of life throughout Port Charles, Carly hoped to tell Jax they were having a baby for Christmas, but the pregnancy test didn't cooperate. Probably just as well, as Michael has started slicking back his hair with Bryl Cream (a little dab'll do ya) and looking very stern and waxing poetic about when he takes over the mob and who he wants to kill and such. I think Carly's parenting skills leave a bit ot be desired, and well, Jax hasn't had much luck with babies. Liz lost the one she was carrying for him as a surrogate, and Courtney's baby wasn't his after all even though he lied about it for awhile.
Liz snuck off for a quickie with Jason, and they decide to carry on a secret affair. Kate snuck off to Manhattan and broke up with Sonny in a note. (At least it wasn't on a Post It for all you S.A.T.C. fans.) "Natasha" a.k,a Alexis went to see Luke for a pep talk on how to survive when your body betrays you, the Jax family trims their Christmas Tree, and Robin goes to Patrick so he can "hold her" Mmm Hmm.
What will happen tomorrow dear readers? Will Sam really, really, regret not signing that autograph? Will Dr. Julian flat iron his hair again tomorrow? Will Tracy ever go home from the hospital long enough to change clothes and shower? Will Spinelli ever be able to eat chicken soup again? Will Patrick hold Robin until her clothes fall off and she ends up pregnant?
